Launched by local collectors Steve Baum and Jared Rudy, Ogden-Con will return to the Comfort Suites Ogden Conference Center — located at 2250 S. 1200 West — on May 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free for the family-friendly event, which will feature vendors dealing in comics, games, toys, vintage and modern pop culture collectibles, as well as Lego activities.

Now in its third year, the convention was born out of frustration with larger, commercial events that Baum and Rudy found increasingly expensive and less focused on comics.

“We went to FanX in Salt Lake City, and we’re both longtime comic collectors, and it was kind of, to be honest, it was a little bit of a nightmare,” Baum told the Standard-Examiner. “It doesn’t focus on comic books anymore, and everything is super expensive.”

So, rather than spending what they considered to be an exorbitant amount on a vendor table at FanX, they decided to start something local and affordable for attendees and vendors alike. The convention has grown steadily ever since; this year, it will host between 40 and 50 vendors and expand into four rooms at the Comfort Suites.

According to Baum, the 2024 convention drew roughly 1,000 people.

“We’ve been getting bigger every year,” he said. “We just sold out our tables a couple of days ago.”

Baum’s own fascination with comic books dates back to the theatrical release of the original “Star Wars” — or “Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope,” as younger fans may know it.

“I went to go see ‘Star Wars’ in the movie theater, the original ‘Star Wars’ movie. They were giving away ‘Star Wars’ comics,” Baum recalled. “I went and I saw ‘Star Wars’ six times so I could get those comic books. I actually still have them. They’re really banged up, but I still have those comic books.”

It’s Baum’s hope that Ogden-Con will provide an avenue into comic book collecting and related hobbies that’s similarly accessible.

“We have a lot of free comics for kids and we have quite a few vendors who are selling comics for just a dollar,” Baum said. “It’s great for kids or people who are wanting to start a collection. You can go to the show with 50 bucks and walk away with the start of a good collection.”

The event will also feature costume contests with cash prizes for kids ages 12 and under, as well as adults 13-plus, and several raffles. Some proceeds from the convention will go to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit benefiting first responders, veterans and families impacted by 9/11.

Tunnel to Towers Foundation ambassador Jennie Taylor will speak at 11 a.m. Recently named Civilian Advisor to the Secretary of the Army for Utah, Taylor is the Gold Star widow of former North Ogden Mayor and Utah Army National Guard Maj. Brent Taylor, who was killed in action in 2018 while on his fourth combat deployment to Afghanistan.

“If you’re looking for something free to do that you can bring the kids to and just have some fun, this is just a good, local event and it’s for a good cause,” Baum added.